May 28 @ 12:00 pm - May 29 @ 3:30 pm
Join us for the Gather & Grow | Townies & Managers Meeting, taking place May 28–29, 2025, at the beautiful Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford PA! This event brings together Main Street and Elm Street leaders for essential training, networking, and the celebration of the prestigious Townie Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in community revitalization across the state.
Gather & Grow starts Wednesday, May 28 with three workshops, the final CRA, Safe Clean & Green (10:00 AM-4:00 PM), the Downtown Revitalization 101 (10:00 AM-3:00 PM), and the NAP Workshop (1:30-4:00 PM). The annual Townie Awards Reception & Dinner at 5:30 PM will cap off day one. Thursday kicks off with breakfast and the Manager’s Meeting & Leadership Forum at 8 AM followed by lunch on your own and Exploratory Field Sessions in downtown Bedford. Exploratory Field Sessions include: Foodie Tour which includes lunch | Bike Tour, rent or bring your own bike | Museum & Mural Tour | Bedford History Tour.
Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) Workshop | Wednesday, May 28 from 1:30-4:00 PM | Cost $25 The NAP Tax Credit program is an important tool in your community revitalization toolbox. Included within the NAP are: the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), the Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Charitable Food Program (CFP), and the Enterprise Zone Tax Credit (EZP). These programs can assist in providing support for several community and economic development activities such as business incubators, housing rehab, weatherization, job training, crime prevention, diversity initiatives, rural transportation initiatives, etc. as well as staff time to deliver these services! Additionally, these programs can be incredibly helpful in further enhancing existing or developing new private partnerships. Don’t forget that as a Main Street Matters Main Street or Elm Street program, you automatically qualify to apply for the NAP programs, without having to prove to be “distressed”.
Recent changes to the Neighborhood Assistance Act for FY2024-25 increased the total available NAP tax credit amount from $36 million to $72 million annually. These changes also affected the maximum tax credit percentages allowable through each subprogram of NAP, ranging from 65% to 95% depending on the subprogram. In 2024, DCED launched a 10-year Economic Development Strategy to make Pennsylvania a premier state to do business while building a resilient economy that works for everyone in the community. Applications will be given additional consideration that align or support the priorities of the Governor’s 2024-25 budget, which includes: making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation, investing in K-12 education, building affordable pathways to a college education, cutting costs for Pennsylvanians, and supporting and protecting our vulnerable Pennsylvanians.
This session will be led by DCED and PA Downtown Center staff and will include first-hand community case studies from our panel of experts: Emily Fetcko, CEO, Erie Downtown Partnership; Larry Newman, AICP, Executive Director, Diamond City Partnership, Wilkes-Barre; Regina Coughenour, Executive Director, Somerset Inc., and Todd Pousley, Director of Community Development, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, Scranton.
Rooms are available at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort. A group rate is available through May 5, 2025, at noon. Book your rooms now!
Registration Rates:
Main Street Matters & PDC Designated Programs, or PDC Recognized Members – FREE | PDC Member – $50.00 | Townie Award Dinner Tickets – $75 | NAP Session – $25 | All registrations are made through the same link. If you are only attending the Townie Awards Dinner or the NAP Workshop, select the FREE Gather & Grow option to get started.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our conference coordinator Virgnia Mauk at virginiamauk@padowntown.org. We hope to see you there!
